Giving Money God's Way

-

Money Matters:
Giving money God’s way

I was crushed. As I was greeting people after worship one Sunday, one of the members came by and said, “Gosh, Pastor, if I had known that this was going to be Stewardship Sunday, I would not have brought a friend.” Ouch! Was I that bad? Had I made Jesus look bad that day? Had I turned one of a Christian’s most joyful privileges into a joyless duty?

Giving is worship. Giving to God acknowledges him as Maker of all (remember--“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it”), Giver of all (remember--“What do you have that you did not first receive?”), and worthy of our best (remember--“He made himself poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich”).

Giving God’s money back to him is a “wanna,” not a “hafta.”

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9,10).

God is already living in your future, and he is capable of giving back to you faster than you can give to him. Feel the love. Feel the joy. God bless

Comments

Post a Comment

Enjoy Your Life

Popular posts from this blog

What Is Your True Purpose

-
Image
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:6-13  What do you live for each day? A pay raise? Retirement? Then perhaps you've discovered the reality that basing aspirations on getting ahead in this world typically ends in disappointment. People with a misguided sense of direction often wonder why they feel unfulfilled. Maybe you've already realized a goal of saving for the future or moving up the corporate ladder. You give to charity and volunteer at church, but somehow still feel a sense of insignificance or aimlessness. If so, there is a truth you need to hear: God gives each of us life for a very specific reason: to serve Him. Nobody finds inner peace without reconciling this fact. Our society teaches us that pleasure, prosperity, position, and popularity will make us happy--but living in the service of self always leaves an emptiness no earthly reward can fill. Besides, worldly philosophy won't stand the test of time. Few of us are going to live even 100 years. So whatever
Continue Reading »

The Teeter - Totter Syndrome

-
Image
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;   in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 There is a dangerous dynamic that sets up in many marriages. I call it the teeter-totter syndrome. It is based upon the dynamic where we naturally respond to our spouse’s behavior. When one spouse moves to an unhealthy or extreme position, the other spouse will almost always adjust to the other extreme to protect themselves and the relationship. Imagine two people sitting face-to-face in the middle of a teeter-totter on a playground. They are close and their weight is balanced. But what happens if one of them moves backwards? You know how it works. On a teeter-totter, everything the other person does on their side affects you on your side—just like marriage. If the other person on a teeter-totter moves backwards, then you also have to move backwards to keep the balance. If they continue to move backwards
Continue Reading »

The God Who Saves

-
Image
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9   Recently I was talking with a fellow about his spiritual life. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his life. He had given up smoking and drinking, among other things. I knew that I should help him understand a few important principles, as his only guarantee so far was better health. What this gentleman needed to realize was that what we do or what we give up for Jesus doesn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer force of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The only action God expects of a "seeker" is to believe in Jesus--that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turn away from
Continue Reading »